Beyond 2018 is the theme of Juliet Ezenwa Maja-Pearce’s
next solo art exhibition, which will open on Saturday August 25
at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, Nigeria.
Stating what inspired her to put up the show, she
says: “I woke up one day and found that just listening to the radio depresses
me. To keep at what I’m doing, I decided it was safer to look past the present
situation, and see a bright future; a better society and time. And so I focused
my mind there; that was how my creativity returned.”
Beyond small presentations, which have characterized Maja-Pearce’s
shows in recent times, this exhibition will audaciously unveil new works
resulting from an experiment spanning over two decades and benefited by a broad
spectrum of influences.
The six days’ exhibition will feature over twenty remarkable
new works. The high expectations for this art exposé are anchored on the
distinguished personality of the artist. W
According to the curator of the exhibition, Mr Luciano
Uzuegbu, the paintings and works are in diverse media including oil, acrylic
and found objects of sorts; all bearing the signature of remarkable adroitness
as they attest to the anguish, yearnings and aspirations of the artist. “In
fixing my Beyond 2018, I decided to hide in the future that I see
in Nigeria, my society, as there is not much inspiration from current events in
the country,” states Maja-Pearce.
Maja-Pearce’s works engage socio-cultural issues
mostly relating to ‘women rights’, ‘marriage’ and ‘togetherness.’ Amongst her
prominent statements challenging some of the subjugations of the female gender
are paintings of (Eastern Nigerian) Igbo maiden masquerades reminiscent of Ben
Enwonu’s renderings of same.
She had participated in various shows many out the
country. “After I had a solo at Nike Gallery in 2012, I have had other shows - including
a solo - early this year at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, which were always small
collections because of the space,” the artist explains.
Of the masks, she contends: “I wanted to produce
something retro; taking from the past and presenting it in a modern and new
format. I wanted to produce something uniquely different. Of course, I studied
African masks, and with regard to the ogolo or maiden Igbo
masks, you cannot study it without encountering and drawing references from the
master, Ben Enwonwu. In fact, you would not be faulty to say that mine is a
replica of Enwonwu’s masquerades; that would be a compliment for me as a
younger artist,” she remarks, while also drawing attention to the fact that she
hails from a part of Delta that is Igbo and where the maiden masquerades also
exist.
“However, many of my masks I have adjusted to be able
to tell my story about them, for instance, assigning horns, a symbol of
strength, to maiden masquerades as opposed to the chauvinistic traditional
association.” This, she hopes, will radically persuade the men folk to accept
that women are potential leaders, while spurring women to take up the challenge
of aspiring beyond the second-fiddle position.
Also in her vibrant, colourful portraits of young
girls with neat, braided hair, Juliet calls attention to the African girl-child
whose rights should include a good education and so much more.
Regarding the artist, Luciano Uzuegbu notes: “It will
be appropriate to observe that Juliet has participated in several UN-sponsored
projects advocating the girl-child and women rights, and has become one of the
strongest voices from the visual art in that campaign.”
The above figurative of (adolescent) females includes
deep, muddy African colour that pays homage to Juliet’s childhood memory when
she assisted her grandmother, a traditional wall decorator, in embellishing
walls with Uli mud paint, an art form institutionaliaed by the
Nsukka Art School.
In the Togetherness and Marriage series,
we see traces of the unique detailing and technique synonymous with Dr Bruce
Onobrakpeya’s work, one of Juliet’s influences. Here, she has used mostly off-white
and less vibrant colours, and incorporated several materials to illustrate as
well as provide depth and texture on the canvas. Sometimes, there are
depictions of humans in ‘unbroken circles holding hands amidst busy, chaotic
situations,’ as the artist advocates peace and unity. Other times, the visuals
are collapsed into abstract geometric shapes with labyrinthine motifs that
suggest diverse influences, one of which the artist identifies as Abdoulaye
Konate, a Malian artist.
Two relatively large pieces of predominantly black and
gold colours explore the concept of marriage in Africa. Titled Happy
Family, they depict the father, mother and children right in the centre,
surrounded by masks representing the elders in an extended family arrangement.
“…it highlights the peace of an African family and how they enjoy the benefits
of extended family system; so that marriage is not an isolated case of
man, wife and children living alone from other relatives,” observes Juliet.
Born in Benin City, Maja-Pearce obtained her BA in
Visual Art from Bendel State University (now Delta State University), Abraka.
